A rather troubling arrangement
by Spurious-nb
Summary: My entry in WIKTT's Marriage Law Challenge
1. Default Chapter

Hello everyone!!! This is my response to The Marriage Law challenge on WIKTT. I hope you like it. Positive criticism is always welcome but please do review when you're done! This is my first WIKTT challenge and only my second FanFic so don't be too mean. And don't worry, it's not over, I'm just a really slow typer so I thought I'd just put up this chapter to see what kind of feedback I get.  
  
Disclaimer: Though I do wish I owned the Harry Potter characters, they and everything affiliated with them belongs to Ms. J.K. Rowling. A true genius.  
  
On Tuesday morning Hermione's Daily Prophet arrived promptly at breakfast, folded in half as usual. She gave the owl two knuts and a piece of bagel. It flew away.  
  
She opened the paper to find exactly what she had been dreading for the last two months. "Blast the Ministry," she said aloud not realizing it.  
  
"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked.  
  
She showed him the headline on the front page. 'Ministry passes new marriage law in hopes to bring down the level of squibs and stillborns among purebloods.'  
  
"Who cares Hermione? We're not old enough to be married," Ron said.  
  
"Don't you two listen to a thing I say? I've been talking about this for weeks! And no, you may not be old enough to get married, but some of us are! Including myself!"  
  
"Hermione, it's October. You won't be 17 for another 3 months," Harry said.  
  
"Yeah, January 12, right Herms?" Ron added.  
  
"Thank you for remembering my birthday. Do you remember the time turner from our third year? The one I used to repeat hours?" she asked.  
  
"Oh no Hermione," Ron gasped. "They age you don't they?"  
  
"Yes Ron, they do. Which means that I am technically four months older than I would be without it. But I never thought it would matter before now! Who would think the Ministry would pass such a stupid law? Now, if you two will excuse me while I go to the library to read the rest of the article." Hermione got up and left the table.  
  
*~*~*  
Safely away from everyone in the Great Hall, Hermione sat down at a table to read. She ignored the headline she had already read and continued the article.  
  
'As of 11:30 last night a new marriage law has been inducted into wizarding society. It was voted on by the Wizengamot and passed by a 5:3 vote.  
The law states that all unmarried/divorced/widowed muggleborn witched of legal age and under the age of 35 must be betrothed to a pureblooded wizard by the head of a pureblooded family. Witches and their parents do not have a choice or say in the matter seeing as betrothal is an old custom in wizarding society. The only way for either the witch or wizard to get out of the betrothal after the choice has been made is to leave the magical world or in the wizard's case be disowned by his family.  
Lists and profiles of all available witches are currently being owled to all pureblooded families with eligible sons along with contracts to owl the witch when they have been chosen. Each witch will be allowed no more than three contracts to choose from. Contracting will begin at 5:00 am tomorrow morning. "So be ready if you want a good choice purebloods!" said Alaina Preterete of the Department of Magical Family Affairs.  
For a copy of the full context of the new marriage law write to:  
Marianna Paseora  
Ministry of Magic  
Law Records'  
  
Hermione couldn't believe it. She had so much ahead of her. "Damn it!" she said stomping her foot on the ground. She stood up and pushed her chair in.  
  
"What's wrong Hermione?" an extremely sexy voice asked from behind her.  
  
"Malfoy! Damn you. Get the fuck away from me!" she yelled as she faced him. He had grown from the annoying little prick he had been into the extremely gorgeous, extremely annoying sex god of Slytherin.  
  
"I hope you won't be saying that on our wedding night Miss Granger. I would be very angry."  
  
"Wedding night? What are you talking about? We're not getting married you bloody ferret!" she yelled and pushed him away from her. The palm of her hand pressed on his hard chest.  
  
He flinched at her ferret comment, but grabbed her hand when she pushed at him and raised it to his mouth. He kissed her fingertips as she let out small gasps. "Of course we are. If I have to marry a mudblood, I'm going to marry the best. And you are the best love. Who knows, compared to any other offers you get, I might look good." He dropped her hand. She looked relieved. "Until potions then love," He said and left her alone.  
  
That had been one of the strangest experiences she had ever had. Sure Malfoy was the hottest guy in the school, but she never thought he'd think of her the way the did. She, like she figured every other girl in the school (and some of the boys) had, had more than one rather erotic dream about the young Master Malfoy. Mrs. Draco Malfoy. It had a nice ring to it.  
  
No! What was she thinking! He was even more death eater than his own father. Draco was pure evil. She could never marry him, no matter how sexy he was. She left the library and went up to Gryffindor tower to collect her things for classes.  
  
~*~*~  
All day long Hermione worried about what other offers she could get. Or worse! What if she didn't get any other offers? What if Malfoy were her only choice? She was so worried that night that she had to take a draught of sleeping potion so she could sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to post this. I am a really slow typer and have lots of other things to do. Thanks to those few of you who reviewed, it is always appreciated. So now, without further ado, on with the show.  
  
A Rather Troubling Arrangement  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. I am sorry if I offend anyone.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Hermione awoke rested the next morning, and extremely happy to be all alone in her Head Girl's quarters. She showered and dressed quickly for breakfast. 'Best to get this over with quickly,' she thought to herself. She patted Crookshanks on the head lightly as she pulled on robes and walked downstairs for breakfast.  
  
She walked into the great hall, observing her surroundings. She saw Draco, at the Slytherin table, blow her a kiss. Professor Snape was staring down a her from the head table. Most importantly as she walked towards Harry and Ron, she noticed three owls sitting patiently in her seat.  
'Oh no,' was all she was thinking.  
"Hermione," Harry said.  
"I know," she said. She took the three scrolls from the owls and gave each something to eat. After they left she sat down where they had been and stared at the scrolls that were now on the table.  
"Which one first?" she asked. "You take your pick. Why don't you go first Ron?"  
"I dunno Hermione. I mean, isn't this kinda personal? Don't you want to do it yourself?"  
"Just do it damnit. I want to know, I just don't want to do it myself. Do it," she said anxiously.  
"Alright then," he answered. He picked up the scroll in the middle of the three and slid his finger under the unrecognizable wax crest seal. He opened it slowly and read it quietly aloud.  
"I, Lucius Malfoy, on behalf of my only son, Draco Malfoy.Draco Malfoy!" Ron glared across the room but kept reading the letter. "Ask you, Hermione Granger, for your hand in marriage. Signed Lucius Malfoy.  
"Then it's got the attached contract with guidelines and rules for the marriage."  
"Thanks Ron, I knew about that one already, Malfoy told me all about it. In the library in fact."  
"You won't choose him though, right Hermione? You know what he is right? A death eater, at least his father is," Harry asked.  
"No, well, it depends on my other choices. You never know Harry, he really could be the best of them all. Why don't you choose the next one?" She suggested.  
"Alright Hermione," he said, picking up another scroll.  
"I, Artemis Flint, on the behalf of my son Marcus, ask for your hand in marriage, Miss Granger. Sincerely, Artemis Flint."  
"Wasn't Marcus abusive to all of his girlfriends when he was still here?" Ron asked. "Even Malfoy's better than that Hermione."  
"I know Ron. Let's just see who this last one is before I become Mrs. Draco Malfoy, shall we?" She said. She took the scroll in her own hand and opened it. It was shocking.  
"I, Lord Demetrius Snape, on behalf of my son Sev-," Hermione looked up at Harry. "Severus Marius Snape, do ask you, Miss Hermione Elizabeth Grace Granger for your hand in marriage. Sincerely, Lord D. Snape."  
Hermione felt lightheaded. She had just enough breath in her to speak the last few words of the letter before she fell backwards off the bench and passed out.  
  
Up at the head table Severus looked towards Dumbledore.  
"So she's read the letter then, Severus. She looked a bit shocked if you ask me my boy. Maybe you'll be lucky and she'll pick you." Dumbledore chuckled.  
"That, Headmaster, would not be luck; it would be hell. I don't think her passing out is such a bad sign on my part though."  
"It all depends on how you see it my boy. I think that it could be a rather good sign that she will pick you," Dumbledore said wisely.  
"Damn my father!" Severus growled and went back to his coffee.  
  
Hermione awoke in a familiar place; she had been here before, many times with Ron and Harry, and she knew it was the hospital wing. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she noticed Professor Dumbledore sitting next to her bed.  
"Good afternoon Miss Granger," he said cheerfully.  
"Afternoon! Oh no, I've missed all of my classes. What about my homework? I won't have enough time to do it all!" She squealed.  
"Shh, Hermione. I told all of your professors that would not be present in their classes today. Harry and Ron are picking up all of your work," Dumbledore assured her.  
"What a relief," she sighed.  
Dumbledore chuckled.  
"Would you give me a moment please Hermione?" he asked. She nodded and he got up from his chair and walked behind one of the nearby screens.  
She heard talking and a rather smooth voice that she couldn't place at the moment.  
Two minutes later, Dumbledore emerged from behind the screen along with a rather disgruntled looking Professor Snape. She stared intently at him as he sat down next to Dumbledore in a bedside chair again.  
"Now, from what I heard from Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, you must have passed out from shock after reading the letter from Severus' father. Is that correct Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked patiently.  
"Well, I suppose that it is partially true Sir; but mainly the reason was because of the three contracts I received to choose from. I haven't much of a choice. As you know, Professor, I am muggleborn, and therefore am force to choose one of them. I you were in my position, I'm not sure you would like the choices either," she explained.  
"Who, may I ask Miss Granger, are your choices?" Severus asked.  
"Oh, Marcus Flint, Draco Malfoy, and yourself, Sir. Can you see why I am not exactly enthusiastic? My choice is from a woman abusing, quiddich captain; a known death eater's probable death eater son; or my ex-death eater, old enough to be my father, greasy sadistic potion's master."  
"Flint is a death eater too," Snape said.  
"You would know, wouldn't you?" She said sarcastically; the question was totally rhetorical.  
"Miss Granger, there is no reason to be rude to Severus. The ministry has been owling me all day to 1.) say that another of Mr. Flint's offers has been accepted and 2.) they want me to force you to make a choice between Draco and Professor Snape. I do need to impress upon you the fact that until you make a choice, you will not be allowed to leave this room. That is, unless your wish is to turn over your wand to me to be snapped, and you decide to leave our world forever. Is that your wish Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked.  
"No, of course that is not my wish. I love this world and I would never leave. It is such a terribly hard decision to choose between two people who you do not like and would never, under normal circumstances, have married either. So my choice, going on good points, is to marry either the Slytherin sex god or someone who is equally as intelligent as I. I feel that there are many good and bad qualities about both, which makes the decision even harder," She stated.  
Snape glared at her.  
"What do you think Professor Snape? Do you want to marry me? Draco Malfoy has actually shown an interest in me. I am not one who likes to be shunned, with no one to talk to for a long time. If I were to marry you I would expect you to actually talk to me."  
"I don't bloody care which of us you choose Miss Granger. Marry Malfoy if you please, but you'll end up like the current Mrs. Malfoy. He'll keep you pent up in one of the Malfoy estates out in the country somewhere; only allowing you to speak with other death eaters wives. He will treat you like a slave, and you will never see your beloved Potter and Weasley again. Is that what you want Miss Granger? If it is it will be a sad, lonely life for you, and possibly short too because once you bear him a son, you will be of no more use to him. You do not even want to know what death eaters do with unwanted mudbloods," he said.  
Hermione sniffled; she was trying to hold back all of the tears that wished they could come pouring out. She asked, "Professor Dumbledore, do you have the contracts?"  
"Yes Hermione, I do"  
"And a quill?"  
"Yes."  
"May I have them?"  
He handed her the quill and the three contracts. She unrolled both and dipped her quill into some ink. For what seemed like hours to them all, she just stared at the parchment before her. Finally, she signed one.  
HERMIONE E.G. GRANGER  
  
Sorry for the cliff hanger. Hopefully I'll be able to type more soon. And update too! Reviews, criticism of any kind and suggestions are always welcome! Thanks all! ~Missy~ 


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